ANAHEIM – The Angels needed this one. Their schedule and their expectations demanded a win against the Houston Astros on Friday.

Having just been outscored 28-11 in a three-game sweep by the rival Oakland Athletics – their third consecutive series loss to start the season – a weekend series against Houston presented an unusual challenge.

Not only are the Astros the Angels’ first opponent that didn’t make the playoffs last season, they’re the owners of baseball’s lowest payroll in the throes of a rebuilding season.

And, suddenly, they were the team directly ahead of the fifth-place Angels in the American League West.

The opponent was different, but the game had a familiar feel.

The Angels’ starting pitcher struggled. The lineup failed to provide enough run support. The bullpen got warmed up early.

And the Angels suffered their fifth loss in a row at the hands of baseball’s biggest underdogs, 5-0 in front of an announced crowd of 37,674 at Angel Stadium.

“It’s pretty simple,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’re not pitching, we’re getting behind early. When you get behind early it gives the other team a chance to match up, use their bullpen, give their starter some breathing room so he can pound the (strike) zone, change speeds and not worry about the one mistake.”

Astros starter Bud Norris lived off two pitches for the most part, a fastball in the low 90-mph range and a slider in the mid-80 s.

Two pitches, with the occasional changeup mixed in, did more than merely keep the Angels off-balance. Norris left them looking silly at times.

Singles by Brendan Harris and Mark Trumbo were the Angels’ only hits their first two times through the batting order. After hitting Peter Bourjos square in the back to begin the day, Norris was masterful. He exited after seven innings having allowed three singles, no runs, two walks and striking out five.

It was an outstanding effort by any pitcher – let alone Norris, who allowed 11 hits in his first two starts of the season, and last year posted the third-highest road earned-run average of all time (6.94).

The Angels’ starter, Tommy Hanson, did little to reverse his team’s four-game losing streak. And he didn’t disagree with Scioscia’s candid criticism.

“I’ve always been told that starting pitching sets the tone,” he said, “and I didn’t set the tone.”

The right-hander from Redlands faced eight Astros hitters, allowing three runs in a top half of the first inning that lasted nearly half an hour.

In fact, the nine-inning game lasted just less than 3 1/2 hours. Luis Jimenez, the Angels’ No.8 hitter making his major-league debut, had to wait nearly 80 minutes for his first career at-bat.

Hanson allowed hits to the Astros’ first four batters, beginning with an infield single to speedster Jose Altuve. The next batter, Justin Maxwell, tripled to the gap in right-center field – at least that’s what television replays showed. The Angels got the benefit of a bad call by third-base umpire Laz Diaz when Maxwell was ruled out on the relay tag, but the RBI double allowed Altuve to score the Astros’ first run.

Singles by Jason Castro, Chris Carter and a walk by Carlos Pena loaded the bases for J.D. Martinez.

Hanson struck out Martinez on three consecutive sliders for the second out of the inning, then had Rick Ankiel in a 1-2 hole. But Ankiel battled back, singling in Castro and Carter on the seventh pitch of the at-bat and inspiring the first of many boos at Angel Stadium.

Hanson got out of the inning one batter later but the damage was done.

His pitch count reached 108 after five innings when Dane De La Rosa came in from the bullpen. He threw two of the four scoreless innings logged by the Angels’ bullpen.

Hanson allowed two more runs, including a solo home run by Maxwell to center field in the second inning, to go along with eight hits, two walks and two strikeouts in five innings.

Scioscia earlier had praised the players’ effort and locker-room leadership as the team got off to its worst start in 52 years. But he also acknowledged the problems, beginning with a pitching staff that entered the game with a 5.42 ERA, 28 th in the majors.

“Some of the things that have cropped up are going to have to work themselves out,” he said. “We’re not going to be able to overhaul the bullpen. Those guys have to step up and pitch. We’re not going to be able to overhaul the rotation.”

Scioscia then was asked to summarize the first three series of the season. He committed a Freudian slip in his response, accidentally repeating the question as the “first three weeks,” before catching his mistake.